Tongyeong Ship Fire: Colleagues' Help Prevents Major Disaster... All 60 Rescued

Tongyeong Coast Guard received a fire report, and Patrol Ship 1501, which was on duty in the nearby waters, arrived at around 5:16 a.m. to carry out firefighting operations. (Photo by Tongyeong Coast Guard)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] On the 11th, a fire broke out on the cable-laying ship R (6239t), which was installing submarine optical cables near Maemuldo, Tongyeong-si, Gyeongnam, but thanks to the quick fire report and the prompt rescue by a nearby tugboat, all 60 crew members and workers were rescued.

At around 3:51 a.m. that day, a fire report was received at the Tongyeong Coastal Vessel Traffic Service Center (VTS). At that time, a total of 60 people were on board ship A, including 49 Koreans, 10 Vietnamese nationals, and 1 Italian national.

When the fire broke out, tugboat B (92t), which was working in a fleet nearby, rushed to the scene. Amid the fierce flames on the ship in the darkness, all 60 people on board ship A quickly evacuated and moved to tugboat B at around 4:27 a.m., just 12 minutes after the evacuation began.

At the scene, patrol boats, small vessels, and containment ships have arrived and are working together on firefighting operations. (Photo by Tongyeong Coast Guard)

The Tongyeong Coast Guard received the fire report, and patrol ship 1501, which was on duty nearby, arrived at 5:16 a.m. and began firefighting operations. Subsequently, patrol vessels, fireboats, and containment ships sent from Yeosu, Jeju, Changwon Coast Guard, and the Navy arrived one after another to join the firefighting efforts. A total of 16 ships and 1 helicopter were dispatched to the scene.

The 60 people rescued from the ship were safely transferred to cable transport ship C (1999t) nearby. The crew members scattered throughout the ship hurriedly gathered on deck when the fire broke out, checked the number of personnel, and took care of missing colleagues, demonstrating strong camaraderie. Two of the crew inhaled hydrocarbon vapors during the fire and complained of nausea, but their lives were not in danger.

The Coast Guard stated that although 234 tons of bunker C fuel oil and 2000 liters of lubricating oil were loaded on the burning ship, none leaked into the sea.

A Coast Guard official explained the accident, saying, "The tugboat working together on the cable installation at sea was the first to arrive at the scene and was able to quickly carry out the rescue."

The Coast Guard plans to investigate the exact cause of the fire after completing the firefighting operation, targeting the crew on board.

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